Prey for a Miracle Read online

  The canales were clogged and blocked by branches, leaves, and plant debris. Oblivious to the light drizzle that had started, they cleared the canales and soon were ready to go back down. Sister Agatha went first. Sister Bernarda was a large woman and it would take two of them on the ground to steady the ladder for her.

  Once the signal was given, Sister Bernarda went down slowly, feeling her way with each step, but as her foot touched the last rung of the ladder, she slipped and fell unceremoniously to the ground.

  Hearing Sister Bernarda moan softly as she reached for her ankle, Sister Agatha looked over quickly at Sister de Lourdes. The younger nun nodded and ran inside to search for Sister Eugenia. The infirmarian was needed now.

  Sister Bernarda struggled to her feet and, grudgingly accepting Sister Agatha’s help, hobbled back inside the chapel. As they stepped through the massive wooden doors and entered the cloistered side, Sister Eugenia suddenly appeared, pushing an empty wheelchair.

  Sister Agatha recognized it instantly as the one Sister Gertrude had been using since her second heart attack. Here, everything was shared as the need arose.

  Seeing the wheelchair, Sister Bernarda took a wobbly step backward and shook her head in protest. However, Sister Eugenia’s formidable stare left no room for objections. Mortified, Sister Bernarda sat down and allowed herself to be wheeled out of the chapel.

  As soon as they entered the infirmary, Sister Eugenia spoke. “The vow of charity takes precedence over the vow of silence, so speak freely and tell me what happened,” she said.

  “It was my fault,” Sister Bernarda whispered, making sure her voice didn’t carry. “I was so relieved to be close to the ground again that I hurried—and slipped.”

  Sister Eugenia took off Sister Bernarda’s alpargates, the rope-soled sandals they all wore, then removed her wet woolen sock. As she did, they all saw the tattoo above her ankle that read, SEMPER FI. The dagger between the words almost looked like a cross.

  Seeing it, Sister Eugenia laughed. Noticing the uncomfortable look on Sister Bernarda’s face, she added, “I’m sorry, Your Charity. I just didn’t expect the tattoo.”

  Sister Agatha smiled widely. Somehow that didn’t surprise her at all. “At least the words that go along with that tattoo seem appropriate to our life here, too. Do you have any others?”

  “You’ll never know,” Sister Bernarda answered with a trace of a smile.

  After rubbing ointment over the ankle area, Sister Eugenia stepped back to evaluate her work. “All you have is a minor sprain. The ointment will help the swelling and the pain,” she said. Refusing to let Sister Bernarda leave the infirmary, Sister Eugenia led her to the cot. “Tonight, Sister, you’ll remain here.”

  Assured that all was well, Sister Agatha stepped to the door and nearly collided with Sister de Lourdes. “I found some more leaks in the chapel,” Sister de Lourdes whispered at the infirmary doorway. “I’ve placed buckets beneath them, and brought towels to absorb any splashing or spills.”

  “There’s nothing more we can do tonight. We’ll have to call in a roofer tomorrow. For now, you should go to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very long day.”

  Sister de Lourdes bowed her head and hurried silently down the corridor. Sister Agatha continued more slowly to her own room, known as a cell. She was incredibly cold and the wet fabric of her habit felt as heavy as chain mail. Quickly slipping into another dry habit, she looked wistfully at her bed, where Pax was snoring contentedly, then hurried back to the chapel.

  Sister Agatha entered through the side door leading from the enclosure. Only candles illuminated the interior now, but even in the flickering glow she could see fresh leaks everywhere. She was nearly finished positioning more buckets beneath the drips when she heard a rustle of cloth from somewhere behind her. Glancing back, she saw Reverend Mother watching her.

  Sister Agatha shook her head imperceptibly, letting the abbess know that the situation was grave. She was considering breaking the Great Silence and going up to talk to her when she heard a new plopping sound. Spotting a new leak near the second station of the cross, she hauled out another bucket from the sacristy and positioned it beneath the steady drip.

  After wiping up the water that had collected there with a towel, she was ready to call it a night, but just then a loud ring sounded. It was the telephone in Reverend Mother’s office, down the hall.

  Sister Agatha’s heart began to beat faster. There were only two phones in the monastery—one in the parlor, and a separate phone line in Reverend Mother’s office. As their abbess, it was necessary for Reverend Mother to maintain her own link to the outside. Calls from the archdiocese and the Mother House usually went directly to her. But nothing except an all-out emergency would have caused that phone to ring at this hour. Glancing down the hall, she saw Reverend Mother hurrying to answer it.

  Sister Agatha followed Reverend Mother to the office, ready to serve if needed and preparing for the worst.

  2

  SISTER AGATHA RAISED HER ARM TO KNOCK, BUT AT THAT instant Reverend Mother opened the door. Seeing Sister Agatha, she whispered, “Praised be Jesus Christ.”

  “Now and forever.” Reverend Mother’s breach of the Great Silence shattered her hope that the telephone call had been a wrong number.

  “Come in, child,” Reverend Mother said quietly.

  Sister Agatha entered, her heart racing. For Mother’s sake, she was determined to appear calm, but that took willpower.

  Sister Bernarda appeared at the door a few seconds later and Reverend Mother gestured for her to come in. As she did, Reverend Mother gave the ex-Marine a concerned look. “I know about your accident, child. Are you sure you should be walking?”

  “I’m fine, Mother,” Sister Bernarda said, her voice calm and her face expressionless. “I can go wherever I’m needed.”

  Reverend Mother nodded, understanding the heavy burden of duty better than most.

  “I have very bad news,” she said. “I’ve just received a call from Father Mahoney’s housekeeper, Frances. Father’s sister, Jessica Tannen, was in an auto accident on the old highway during the storm. Jessica’s in the hospital now, apparently still unconscious. The police believe that Jessica’s daughter Natalie was with her mother at the time, but she’s missing. According to the person who reported the accident, there was another vehicle on the scene that took off just as he got there.”

  “Was Natalie kidnapped?” Sister Bernarda asked immediately.

  “They’re not sure, but there’s evidence that tends to indicate that Natalie ran off. Officers are looking for her now.”

  Sister Agatha knew Natalie, a eight- or nine-year-old who claimed to have a guardian angel always at her side. Stories in the community had connected the little girl with supposed miracles, as well, making it difficult for the child and her mother on occasion. “Natalie must have been terrified! Could it have been a hit-and-run instead of a kidnapping? Maybe a drunk driver?”

  “The police are investigating but their first priority is finding Natalie. Father Mahoney has asked that you and Sister Bernarda join the search teams while the rest of us begin a prayer vigil.”

  “We’ll go directly to the police station, Mother,” Sister Agatha said, and saw Sister Bernarda nod as well. “Someone there can tell us who’s coordinating the search and we’ll report to them.”

  Reverend Mother looked at Sister Bernarda. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”

  “Fit and ready for duty, Mother,” Sister Bernarda said confidently.

  “All right then,” Reverend Mother said in a heavy voice. “In this weather, you’d better use our car.”

  Sister Agatha hesitated. “Mother, it may be better for us to leave it just in case there’s an emergency here. Sister Gertrude’s heart condition is far from stable.”

  Reverend Mother looked at Sister Bernarda. “Under those circumstances, I’m not at all sure you should go. The trip in the sidecar and your injury…”

  “I’ll go to
the rectory, Mother, and take over for Frances. She can join the search while I handle telephone communications. And if Natalie finds her way there I can notify the authorities. It’ll be making the most of the available manpower.”

  Reverend Mother nodded. “I’ll call the police department while you’re on the way to the rectory. If there’s anything you need to know, like who’s coordinating the search and from where, I’ll leave that information with Frances to pass it on to you. It’ll save time. If you can manage it, take Pax with you. His animal senses may be a help to you now.”

  “We’ll do that, Mother,” Sister Bernarda said.

  As the two externs left Reverend Mother’s office, Sister Bernarda gave Sister Agatha a tight-lipped smile. “I would have given anything to go with you on the search instead of manning the phones.”

  “You’re making yourself useful in a different way. That’s all that matters in a crisis.”

  Less than five minutes later, wearing an old raincoat, Sister Bernarda managed to get herself into the sidecar. Pax, sensing her injury, had hopped in, but stayed well away from her foot.

  “Ready?” Sister Agatha asked, handing her the spare helmet, then zipping up her own waterproof jacket.

  “Of course,” Sister Bernarda replied through clenched teeth.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to change your mind about coming? Reverend Mother would understand—”

  “Drive,” Sister Bernarda said, her voice a taut command.

  The storm had littered the road with branches, and Sister Agatha had to run a tight slalom course with the Harley to avoid the obstacles on the road. The cold air that blasted against them was the worst. Though the helmet and raincoat helped somewhat, she could see Sister Bernarda pulling the dog closer to her for warmth.

  “You know Natalie, don’t you?” Sister Bernarda asked, having to raise her voice to be heard above the noise.

  “Sure. She’s come to Mass here several times and I’ve visited with her in the rectory,” Sister Agatha replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

  “I’ve been wanting to talk to her, too, but I’ve never had a chance to do more than say hello. I’ve heard the rumors in town that she sees, or claims to see, an angel. There’s also something about a so-called miracle at the school that involved Natalie,” Sister Bernarda said.

  “Students at St. Charles are still talking about that,” Sister Agatha answered. “The story I heard is that a car in the school parking lot was rolling toward a man in a wheelchair. Natalie saw it and yelled ‘stop’—and the car suddenly came to a complete standstill. There was no one at all in the car, and though there were several witnesses, nobody could explain why the car stopped. One of the TV shows picked up the story after that and ran a sensationalist feature claiming Natalie’s angel had saved the day.”

  “That would have made a good story, all right.”

  “Of course the church hasn’t made an official statement and probably won’t in a case like this. But this whole thing has sure put Father Mahoney in a difficult position.”

  Less than fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the rectory behind the town’s adobe and brick Catholic church near the center of old Bernalillo. The rectory was a small building with desert landscaping all around it.

  Sister Agatha helped Sister Bernarda out of the sidecar, then walked with her to the front door. “I’ll make sure Sister de Lourdes picks you up in the Antichrysler after we’re done here,” Sister Agatha said, using the nickname they’d given the monastery’s ancient car.

  Mrs. Frances Williams, the rectory’s housekeeper, answered the door. “I’ve been expecting you two. Reverend Mother called a little while ago.”

  Sister Bernarda explained their plan, then added, “I’ll free you up here and that way you can join the search.”

  “That would be great. I’ll need you to call the names on the list that Father Mahoney gave me. They’re mostly friends of Natalie, teachers, and parishioners who live in the general vicinity of the accident site. Ask if they’ve seen her, and relay any messages that come in.”

  “No problem,” Sister Bernarda said briskly. “Now you two need to go help find Natalie.” Sister Bernarda took the list that Frances handed her. “I’ll do what has to be done here.”

  “I really appreciate this, Sister. A girl that age alone…” Frances’s voice trailed off and she wiped an errant tear away with a shaky hand. “Just follow me on the motorcycle, Sister Agatha, and I’ll show you where the sheriff has set up his command center.”

  Sister Agatha followed Frances out of town, driving south. It felt colder now than when she’d started out. The rain was nothing more than a mist, but it clung to her clothing like plaster, weighing it down. Forcing her discomfort aside, Sister Agatha focused on Natalie and tried to remember their conversations. Maybe if she thought about those hard enough, she’d recall something that would tell her where the girl would likely go if she was afraid or in trouble. However, the harder she tried, the more she blanked out. The same switch that kept her fear under control had apparently put a tight lock on her thoughts, as well.

  After following Frances for five minutes they arrived at the makeshift command center—an abandoned roadside fruit stand less than a hundred feet from where Jessica Tannen’s car had skidded off the road. The vehicle, surrounded by yellow crime scene tape, still hadn’t been moved, and its front tires were suspended in midair over a muddy arroyo.

  Floodlights powered by a portable generator illuminated the wreck and the wood-framed fruit stand. Sheriff Green was speaking to a group of people in various styles of rain gear holding lanterns or large flashlights.

  She’d just climbed off the cycle and was attaching a leash to Pax’s collar when Smitty, the owner and manager of the largest independent grocery store in town, came up to her.

  “I thought you’d show up soon, Sister,” he said. “We have a good turnout of volunteers anxious to help out so I’m sure we’ll find Natalie—if she’s still in the area.”

  “So they haven’t ruled out kidnapping?” Sister Agatha managed through the fist-sized lump in her throat.

  “Not yet,” he answered in a soft voice. “The sheriff found foot- prints that were probably Natalie’s leading into the brush, but the trail fizzles out after a few yards. The rain’s really creating a problem for the police.”

  Smitty was tall and lean. His thin brown hair had long disappeared on top, giving way to a shiny skull that had people wondering if he buffed it. Even now, in this weather, he was meticulously dressed. Water beaded up on his warm-looking black raincoat, and his tan boots held a coat of polish despite the muddy ground.

  “In addition to the search and rescue people, several local businessmen, including Joseph Carlisle, Jessica’s boss, have shown up, ready to help. And everyone on the Interfaith Council is here as well,” he continued. “When a child goes missing, we all take it personally.” He paused, then added, “It’s just a shame that it takes an incident like this to pull everyone together.” He took a step back as Pax shifted.

  Noticing Smitty’s reaction, Sister Agatha said. “Relax. He’s harmless.”

  “Oh, sure. Those teeth are just for show.”

  “He’s smiling at you,” she said, then looked ahead at Tom Green, their sheriff, who was speaking to someone on his handheld radio and reading a note one of the deputies had handed him. Tom had a son Natalie’s age, and, no doubt, this case hit a bit too close to home for him. He’d want any child lost on his turf found—and fast.

  “Looks like they’re dividing up all the large fields and sections of the bosque leading in every direction,” she noted, looking at the map Sheriff Green had tacked up on the back wall of the fruit stand. “I assume all the major roads are being covered by deputies and law enforcement agencies. Is anyone searching the little side roads, the one-vehicle dirt tracks? A frightened kid running away from here might not stick to the roads, especially if she thinks someone’s after her.”

  “Sounds like you’ve go
t some good ideas. Better talk to the sheriff when he’s finished,” Smitty suggested.

  “Father has some real friends here,” she answered gently.

  “He’s a good man,” Smitty said. “And right now he’s determined to do whatever’s necessary to find Natalie.”

  “I didn’t see Father when I pulled up. Is he here now?”

  Smitty shook his head. “He went out with the first search team. I don’t think he could bear to stand still.”

  Before she could reply, Sheriff Tom Green approached. “Sister Agatha, I’m glad you’re here and that you brought the Harley. That cycle can go where cars can’t in this weather, and I’ve got a grid along the edge of the bosque I want you to search. Good thing you brought Pax, too. If you end up having to do some walking, the dog will be an asset. He’ll let you know if someone else is around.”

  “We figured he might be useful,” she said.

  “I want you and Smitty to team up. No one searches alone tonight. The roads are slick and dangerous, and if we’re dealing with a kidnapper, we don’t want anyone else at risk.”

  “Were there any skid marks or other indications that this was more than just someone running off the road in a rainstorm?” Sister Agatha asked.

  “The dual skid marks we found, and the damage to Mrs. Tannen’s vehicle on the driver’s side, indicate she was sideswiped. We haven’t determined if she was forced off the road or lost control after the collision,” he said in a barely audible voice, “but a witness saw someone in another vehicle fleeing the scene.” His gaze strayed along the roadside as various search teams got underway and additional volunteers arrived. “I’ve got to tell you, whether we’re dealing with a carjacker, kidnapper, or simply a drunk driver, I sure hope one of my officers finds him first. The community volunteers are angry as…well, you know. They won’t be gentle bringing him in, especially if he’s got the girl and she’s been injured or mistreated.”

  Tom led them to the map and indicated a section on the east side of the river. “I want you to concentrate your search where the tree line begins. The bosque, especially during the rain and wind, might have looked too dark and frightening to Natalie, but it’s possible she ducked beneath the trees along the edge. Or maybe she’s scared and has holed up somewhere. That motorcycle will take you into places most cars can’t go, and you can also search for a trail on foot. I see a big flashlight in your jacket pocket, but did you bring along the cell phone I gave you for emergencies?”